Statement on Tariff Deadline Extension

(WASHINGTON) –Tariffs Hurt the Heartland, the nationwide campaign against tariffs supported by American manufacturers, retailers, technology and agriculture organizations released the following statement today after the President announced the March 1 tariff increase deadline would be extended.

“We are encouraged by this latest sign of progress and that the administration seems to have heard the concerns of U.S. businesses and farmers who simply cannot afford more tariffs. However, existing tariffs and shifting deadlines are still making it harder for Americans to plan for the future, invest and grow. As we have said repeatedly, we agree with the need to address China’s unfair trading practices. But tariffs are ultimately taxes paid by American businesses, and that’s why using them as leverage will always be a losing proposition. We need a solution as soon as possible that ends the tariff uncertainty once and for all and improves the U.S.-China trading relationship.”

Tariffs Hurt the Heartland, in conjunction with the Trade Partnership, released a study this month that revealed administration tariffs cost U.S. businesses $2.7 billion in November 2018, the most recent month of data available from the U.S. Census Bureau.

Earlier this month at a press conference on Capitol Hill with bipartisan members of the U.S. Senate, Tariffs Hurt the Heartland released a report prepared by Trade Partnership Worldwide LLC that found that American workers would lose nearly one million U.S. jobs if tariffs increased on March 1.